Reply To: Johnson CD-14 Frozen Pinion Gear-Shock Absorber

[aquasonic]

James, I’m in the Yankee Chapter so hopefully this advice is OK. Your shock has either a broken spring or an expanded spring that has not returned to is normal position. If by chance it is not broken, then it can be simply pressed back to 6 11/16″ long and put back into service. Some will weld even unbroken shocks in order to prevent future breakage or expansion, but they can be fine as long as they are pressed to size.

If you clean up the inside of the shock well, then with a high intensity flashlight you can often see if the spring is broken inside. A dental pic can be used to run along questionable areas, and you will feel a snag at the break. Q-tips with carb cleaner are great for cleaning the inside spring area.

Improvise-Adapt-Overcome